Linotype-machine



No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheeti. G. A; BATES.

LINOTYPE MAGHINB.

No. 572,947. Patented Dec. 15, 1896.

VENTOR WITNESSES 2 t e e h s .w e e h s 2 R m E0 A M B n T 0 m L mammal.

No. 572,947. Patented Dec. 15, 1896.

WITNESSES.

NlTED STATES ATENT FFICE.

GEORGE A. BATES, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO TIIE MERGENTHALER LINOTYPE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

LlNOTYPE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,947, dated December 15, 1896. Application fil d March 7, 1896. Serial No. 582,259. (No modeLl To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. BATES, of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Linotype-lllachines, of which the following is a specification.

In linotype-machines, such, for example, as that represented in Letters Patent of the United States, dated September 16,1890,Nos. 436,531 and 436,532, the slugs or linotypes in the course of their passage from the mold to the receiving-galley are carried between two trimming-knives, by which they are dressed to a uniform thickness and given true surfaces. In practice the machine is frequently changed to produce slugs of different thicknesses corresponding to the different typefaces, such as agate, nonpareil, minion, rte. Change in the thickness of the body must be accompanied by change in the distance between the trilnming-knivcs.

The object of the present invention is to provide for a speedy and accurate adj ustment of the knife to suit the thickness of the various sizes of type and to avoid the necessity of using detached parts for the purpose.

The invention consists in essentially the combination of an adjustable knife with adjustable liners or stops varying in thickness at different points, in the combination of adjustable stepped stops with a spring or springs to urge theknife toward them, and in the combination of the knife, its actuatingspring, the adjustable stops, and means for moving the knife away from the stops or liners to permit the ready adjustment of the latter.

In the drawings I have represented my improvement as applied to a Mergenthaler machine, which in all other respects may be of ordinary construction.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the knifeblock provided with my improvement. Figs. 2, 3, and at are horizontal sections on the correspondingly-numbered lines of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an outline view of the knife and the operating part-s. Fig. 0 is a face view of one of the rotary stops or liners.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a stationary portion of the main frame, commonly known as the knife-blockg B, a stalVithin the knife-block I place a long spring.

E, bearing at its middle on a stationary pin F and at its ends against the respective knife-bolts D, as plainly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5. The spring thus applied tends constantly to urge the knife 0 away from its companion. In order to limit the retreat of the knife O and thus determine the distance between the two knives according to the thickness of the slug required, I provide the two rotary liners or stops G. (Shown in detail in Fig. 6.) Each of these liners consists of a central hub or disk provided with a series of radial arms 6, varying in thickness. These liners are connected to the rear edge of the movable knife by screws 6, so that each may be revolved in order to bring an arm of one thickness or another between the rear side of the blade and the cars a on the knife-block. The arm which is thus introduced serves as a liner or stop, that is to say, as a support or bearing between the rigid ear a and the rear side of the knife, holding the latter forward against the stress of the spring, maintaining its cutting edge 7 at the exact distance required from the stationary knife.

It will be observed that by revolving the liners, thus bringing their different arms in operative position, the knife 0 may be held firmly in the precise position required. To produce slugs of the standard thicknesses, the liners may bear directly against the cars a of the knife-block, but in order to permit more accurate adjustment in the first instance and to compensate for the wearing or grinding back of the knife I prefer to have the liners seated on the outer side against set-screws H, tapped through the knife-block, as shown. It will be understood that these screws are adjusted only to bring the knives into the exact parallelism and to the exact distance apart for any one slug. They are then fixed in position, and further adjustments are effected by rotating the liners.

WVhen the knife is to be adjusted to change the thickness of the slug, it must be pushed forward in order to permit the free rotation of the liners. This may be effected by hand or by any suitable mechanism, but I recommend the employment of the simple contrivance shown in the drawings, consisting of an eccentric I, acting on the rear edge of the knife and carried by a spindle 2 seated in the knife-block and provided with an operating arm or handle 2'. By moving this handle the eccentric is caused to press the knife forward againstthe stress of the spring, thus relieving the liners, so that they may be quickly turned, after which the handle is released and the knife permitted to retreat against the liners.

For convenience in manufacture I prefer to construct the arms of the liners in separate pieces and to rivet them to the central hub, but they may be obviously made in any other manner. I also prefer to pivot the rotary liners to the knife, as shown, but they could obviously be pivoted to the knife-block.

In order to facilitate the adjustment of the parts, I mark the names of the different typefaces on the arms e, as shown. This insures a like adjustment of the two liners and prevents errors in adjustment.

The unlettered screws shown in the draw ings are those used in the ordinary commercial machine, and they have no bearing on the present invention. As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the top screw is the. one employed to sustain one of the line-clamping jaws. The other two, lying, respectively, above and below screws I-I, bear against the fixed knife to prevent it from shifting toward the knife 0.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a linotype-machine, a slug-trimming knife a spring tending to urge the same in one direction and a rotary liner having por tions of varying thickness to support the knife in different positions.

2. In a linotype-machine, the combination of the sliding knife, a springurging the same backward and two rotary liners each with portions differing in thickness to hold the knife forward.

In a linotype-machine, the combination of the knife block or support, the sliding knife, the spring urging the same backward, the rotary liners with portions differing in thickness and the eccentric to urge the knife forward.

4. In a linotype-machine and in combination with an adjustable knife, a movable liner or knife-support provided with portions varying in thickness and bearing characters to guide the attendant in adjusting the same.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 27th day of February, 1896, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

GEORGE A. BATES. \Vitnesses:

GEORGE OooK RIDER, JAMES GILLIARD PARSONS. 

